Thermosensitive and biodegradable microgel and a method for the preparation thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a thermosensitive and biodegradable microgel and a method of synthesizing such microgels. The thermosensitive and biodegradable microgel is synthesized from a macromer comprising a thermosensitive block polymer co-polymerized with a biodegradable moiety encapped with a cross-linkable or polymerizable moiety at either end. The microgels of the present invention are synthesized by inverse suspension polymerization of the macromers. The microgels are biodegradable into components that are non-toxic and easily removed from the body. The microgel of the present invention is temperature sensitive and is “intelligent” as well as biodegradable. The microgels are preferably used for the controlled release of a drug or in tissue engineering. Most preferably, the microgels are suitable for the control release of biologically active substances such as proteins.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a polymeric biodegradable material thatis suitable for use in a pharmaceutical formulation. More particularly,it is directed to a thermosensitive and biodegradable microgel, a methodof preparation of the biodegradable microgel and a unique application ofthe material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Controlled Release of Recombinant Proteins

With the rapid advances made in biotechnology and genetic engineering, agrowing number of proteins and peptides have been produced byrecombinant DNA technology for use as pharmaceutical therapeutic agents.Such proteins include erythropoietin (EPO),granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF and GM-CSF), interferons(alpha, beta, gamma, and consensus), insulin and interleukin-1 etc. Inaddition to these proteins, several hundred other proteins are currentlyundergoing clinical trials as drugs. Because proteins have generallyshort in vivo half-lives and negligible oral bioavailability, they aretypically administered by frequent injection, a procedure that is hardto accept for most patients. It has been conjectured that the employmentof controlled release technology for the administration of suchtherapeutic agents can alleviate such a problem to a degree. Hence, itis highly desirable to develop sustained-release systems.

Tissue engineering is another area of biomedical research that is muchpursued. The goal of tissue engineering is to employ the techniques ofmodern biotechnology to regenerate or replace lost or damaged tissuesand organs. In addition to cells and their scaffolds, a class ofproteins called growth factors are frequently required for tissueengineering. These include nerve growth factor (NGF), platelet-derivedgrowth factor (PDGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growthfactor (EGF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) etc. Growth factors, most ofwhich are globular, are effective in the process for supplying theoxygen and nutrients which are necessary for the survival of thetransplanted cells in organ transplants (Lanza et al., 2000).

Cell growth factors are usually injected locally and active targeting ofthe agent is not absolutely necessary. However, it has been found thatdirect single-time injection of a growth factor solution into aregeneration site is less effective, as the injected growth factorrapidly diffuses away from the site. Repeated injection is, of course,inconvenient. Novel drug delivery systems are thus desired. Theprojection is that controlled delivery systems for recombinant proteinswill be a major technology in tissue engineering during the nextcentury. (Yasuhiko, (2000) Pharmaceutical Science & Technology Today, 3:80-89)

Microparticles as Controlled-Release Carriers

Microparticles has held promises in many areas of medicine. In recentyears, microparticles have garnered growing attention and have been thesubject of investigation as an ideal drug carrier. Up to the present,microparticles have found application in more than thirty differentdrugs, including antipyretic analgesic, antibiotic, fibrin andanticancer drugs, etc. Biomolecules such as proteins, enzymes, hormonesand peptides, are sensitive and easily degraded. The most promisingcontrolled-release approach would be to encapsulate such materialswithin microparticles. A principal advantage of formulating thesesensitive biomolecules in microparticles is that they may beadministrated by injection, and does not require formal surgicalprocedure for their administration.

Materials that are useful for making into microparticles can be groupedinto three categories: natural polymers such as glutin, alginate andchitosan; semi-synthetic polymers such as carboxymethyl cellulose,cellulose acetate phthalate, methyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose; andsynthetic polymers such as polyamide, poly(acrylic acid), poly(vinylalcohol), polycarbonate, poly(amino acid), poly(lactic acid),poly(lactide-co-glycolide) and poly(d,l-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol)copolymer. Natural polymers are abundant and usually biodegradable.However, the principal disadvantage is in the difficulty of theirmodification and purification. There are significant batch to batch andsource to source variations, due to the need to isolate these materialsfrom living organisms.

The requirements for materials used for encapsulation are suitable drugrelease rates, stability, non-toxicity, absence of interference with thepharmacological action, strength, suitable hydrophilicity, plasticity,permeability and solubility. In addition, it would be desirable to havemicroparticles made from biodegradable polymers to eliminate the needfor their removal after the agent has been released. Synthetic polymersare available in a wide range of compositions with readily adjustableproperties. Therefore, much attention has been paid to the use ofbiodegradable materials. Synthetic polyesters have, especially, beenwidely investigated. See. Blanco et al., (1998) Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm.45: 285-294, Zhu et al., (1999) Eur. Polym. J. 35: 1821-1828.

Up to the present, most researchers have concentrated on the use ofhydrophobic biodegradable polymers. Singh et al., (2001) J Control.Release 70: 21-28, reported the in vitro and in vivo release behavior ofpolylactide-co-glycolide microparticles with entrapped insulin growthfactor (rhlGF-I). Jain et al., (2000) Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm, 50:257-262, investigated the release behavior of bovine heart cytochrome Cand heart skeletal muscle myoglobin from injectable PLGA microparticles.

There are various problems associated with the applications of suchpolymers. The problems are: the difficulty of the homogeneous dispersalof the hydrophilic drug within the polymer matrices, the inability ofcertain macromolecules to diffuse out through the polymer matrix, theunpredictability of drug release behavior, the deterioration of thedrug, e.g., denaturation caused by the presence of organic solvents, andirritation to the organism due to side effects caused by the presence oforganic solvents.

Degradable polymers containing water-soluble polymers have also beeninvestigated. Copolymerization of lactide, glycolide and caprolactonewith the polyether such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) was expected topartially overcome the above drawbacks, while taking advantage of thevirtues of both biodegradable and hydrophilic polymers. Sawhney et al.,(1990) J Biomed. Mater. Res, 24(10): 1397-1411, Casey et al., (U.S. Pat.No. 4,716,203) describes the synthesis of a block copolymer of PGA(poly(glycolic acid)) and PEG. Cho et al (2001) J. Control. Release 76:275-284. applied the W/O/W double emulsion method to prepare PLLA-PEGcopolymer microparticles, where bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used asthe model drug. Although the copolymers have improved hydrophilicity,most of the biodegradable synthetic polymers reported so far can only beprocessed in organic solvents which are harmful to protein activity. Forthese reasons, it is desirable to have a hydrogel as a preferablecandidate as a protein drug carrier.

Use of Hydrogel as Protein Carriers

Hydrogels have been intensely investigated as protein drug vehiclesbecause of their excellent biocompatibility and hydrophilicity. Comparedwith other synthetic biomaterials such as PLGA, hydrogels more closelyresemble natural living tissues because of their high water contents andsoft and rubbery consistency. The nature of hydrogels minimizesirritation to surrounding tissues. Furthermore, hydrogels are useful inprotecting the drug from hostile environments, e.g., the presence ofenzymes or the low pH in the stomach. Some biodegradable hydrogels havebeen reported, Sawhney et al., (1993) Macromolecules, 26:581-587, andHubbell et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,986,043, 6,060,582, and 6,306,922.However, the hydrogels were synthesized via ultraviolet polymerizationor photopolymerization, which are not suitable for entrappingultraviolet-sensitive proteins.

There are many different physical forms of hydrogels, such as microgel,bulk gel etc. Since microparticles are injectable, microgel would be agood carrier for proteins. Drug delivery systems in the form ofmicroparticles may enable the release of the therapeutic agent in aspecified area or over a specified time period. Kim S W et al., (1997)Nature 388: 860-862, studied injectable hydrogel. During the process ofloading drug, the use of any organic solvent which can denature theprotein was avoided. However, in this case, bulk gels instead of gelparticles were used, and the encapsulation temperature was higher thanhuman body temperature.

Cross-linked glutin and collagen have also been employed as a hydrogelto encapsulate peptides of opposite charges. Alginates have been shownto be able to encapsulate biological materials. Lim, U.S. Pat. No.4.352,883. But the rates of degradation of both kinds of gels were noteasily controlled over a wide range of conditions.

In addition to swelling, some hydrogels also show changes in response tostimuli. The present inventors explored these characteristics fordeveloping novel ways for drug loading and drug release.

There have been many studies on materials for drug release. Thesematerials are either merely biodegradable as reported by Cohen et al.,(1991) Pharm. Res., 8: 713-720, Langer et al., (1998) Nature 392: 5-10,Bawa et al., (1985) J. Control. Release, 1: 259-267, Li et al., (2002)J. Polym. Sci. part A: Polym. Chem. 40(24): 4550-4555, Fu J. et al.,(1997, 1998) Chemical Journal of Chinese Universities, 18(10):1706-1710, 19(5):813-816; or merely responsive to environmental stimuli,see e.g., Wu et al., (1995, 1996) Macromolecules 28(15): 5388-5390,29(5):1574-1578, Wu, U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,634; Zhou et al., (2003) J.Polym. Sci. part A: Polym. Chem. 41(1):152-159. There have been a fewreports about a material having a combination of both properties, Shah,U.S. Pat. No. 6,541,033, and Shah et al., U.S. Pat. No. 0,099,709. Fromthese few reports, the use of biodegradable and thermosensitivemicrogels in a drug delivery system is still quite limited.

RealGel™ is a block copolymer with temperature-sensitivity anddegradability, Zentner et al., (2001) J. Control. Release, 72: 203-215.It is not a chemical gel but a physical gel. The term of “chemical gel”represents a gel in which gellation is due to chemical crosslinking,while the term of “physical gel” denotes a gel in which gellation isinduced by physical parameter such as temperature. In addition, this gelis a liquid at high temperature, and forms a semi-solid gel when it canbe used to encapsulate a drug at a lower temperature. However, thepositive temperature sensitivity may lead to denaturation of the proteinwhen it is being encapsulated at a high temperature before gelation. Anegative temperature sensitive biodegradable chemical hydrogel has beenreported by Hubbell et al., (2000) U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,761, but it was abulk gel, wherein an ultraviolet initiation method was used. There aredifficulties in applying this type of bulk gel in an inverse suspensionpolymerization process.

In accordance with the present invention, a thermosensitive,biodegradable microgel for the sustained delivery of drugs is provided.The drug is released at a controlled rate from the microgel, whicheventually biodegrade into non-toxic products. The rate of degradationcan also be adjusted by adjusting the composition of the biodegradablegroups.

Drug Loading

In order to encapsulate protein molecules within microparticles, mostresearchers utilize a solvent evaporation method because this method isuseful for achieving a high level of encapsulation. There are basicallytwo different approaches for encapsulation: a water/oil/water doubleemulsion or a single emulsion in which the micronized protein powder isdispersed into an organic solvent phase containing the dissolvedpolymer. However, many proteins are irreversibly denatured by contactwith organic solvents necessary for dissolving the polymer. Thus, one ofthe main problems of such methods is the partial or complete loss ofbiological activity. There are some additives, such as albumin andpolysaccharides, which can be used to stabilize the proteins to acertain degree and affect the release behavior, Baldwin et al., (1998)Adv. Drug. Deliv. Rev., 33: 71-86. The alternative, but less frequentlyreported method is loading the proteins or peptides into a microgel byswelling the microgels in an aqueous solution and subsequent drying.However, this method provides only a low level of encapsulationefficiency. Thus, a further object of the present invention is toprovide a process of manufacturing a microgel and loading a protein druginto the microgel with a relatively high loading level.

Compared to in situ encapsulation of the drug, absorption of the drugAFTER the preparation of the gel or hydrogel provides several strikingadvantages: (1) The biocompatibility of the polymeric material may beenhanced because gel without protein loaded can be easily cleaned towash out any residual monomers, initiators etc.; (2) the steps ofpreparing the microgel followed by encapsulation of the protein areseparate steps, making it much easier to control each of the two stepsindependently. On its face, it has been considered impractical to adsorbthe proteins after the preparation of the gel or microgel. The reasoningwas that if a drug can penetrate the gel easily, it would not bereleased slowly; whereas, if drug release can be controlled well, itwould be hard to adsorb the drug into the gel after gel formation andwould lead to a very low loading level.

In accordance with the present invention, the hydrogels of the presentinvention have been designed to be “intelligent” to overcome thedifficulties encountered previously. The “intelligent” hydrogels of ourinvention comes from the temperature sensitivity of the polymericmaterial in a particular solvent media. The gel swells at a lowtemperature and is ready for drug absorption at this low temperature.However, the gel contracts or gelates at a higher temperature, such asthe body temperature, and provides a unique way for controlling therelease of the drug after injection into the body.

The object and features of the present invention will be made apparentfrom the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thepatent provides a thermosensitive, biocompatible and biodegradablemicrogel for potential use in drug delivery and other biomedicalapplications such as tissue engineering. The microgel is obtained bypolymerizing a macromer through inverse suspension polymerization.Suitable thermosensitive, biocompatible, polymerizable and basicallywater soluble macromers are disclosed herein. The term “macromer” refersto the macro-monomer which is a macromolecule or an oligomer and isitself polymerizable. The macromer according to the present inventioncomprises a water soluble and thermosensitive region as the core withhydrolyzable biodegradable oligomeric extensions, andfree-radical-polymerizable moiety(es) at terminals.

The microgels resulting from polymerization of such macromers areparticularly useful for controlled drug delivery. The pore size of themicrogel is decreased greatly when the temperature is higher than itsphase transition temperature, namely, the physical gellationtemperature, which is preferably between 4° C. and 37° C. The chemicallycross-linked microgel network is able to entrap and homogeneouslydisperse a protein drug throughout the network at a lower temperature,usually at 4° C., and release the protein drug at a controlled rate at ahigher temperature, usually at 37° C.

Organic solvents and toxic substances can be removed completely beforedrug loading, and the loaded drug would not leach out from the microgelat body temperature, if the size of the drug, such as a protein drug, isbetween the pore sizes of microgel before and after phase transitiontemperature, usually between 4° C. and 37° C.; or if the entrappedsubstance has been held in the microgel network due to further gelationwithin the microgel over the phase transition temperature. In thismanner, protein activity is maintained with a relatively high level ofencapsulation efficiency. Drug release is also effected by diffusion ofthe drug and the degradation of the microgels. The rate of degradationcan be controlled by custom designing the structure of the polymer orpolymers used to make the microgel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the internal chemical structure of themicrogels in the present invention (a) and associated macromer (b),where

represents chemical cross-linked bonds; F(DC)₂ represents a microgelblock co-polymer; wherein F is a temperature sensitive polymer oroligomer; D is a biodegradable moiety, such as a polyglycolide, C* is across-linkable moiety provided at the end of the block co-polymer chainof F and D to form a macromer, F(DC*)₂, and C is a crosslinked moietyafter cross-linking of the macromers F(DC*)₂.

FIG. 2 a shows the morphology of a microgel resulting from(PE0₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-LA₈-DA macromers at 4° C. observed in an invertedoptical microscope.

FIG. 2 b shows the morphology of a microgel resulting from(PE0₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-LA₈-DA macromers, at 37° C. observed in aninverted optical microscope.

FIG. 3 shows the effect of temperature on the particle size of amicrogel. The volume of each microparticle was calculated from thediameter measured using the optical micrograph.

FIG. 4 shows the rate of degradation of the microgel resulting from(PE0₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-LA₄-DA macromers and (PEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-LA₈-DAmacromers in PBS at 37° C.

FIG. 5 shows the release of BSA from (PE0₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀-LA₄ microgelinto PBS at 37° C.

FIG. 6 shows the release of insulin from (PE0₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-CL₄microgel into PBS at 37° C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein is a biodegradable and thermosensitive microgel formedvia polymerization of macromers. The macromers are obtained as follows:a thermosensitive oligomer or polymer (F) polymerized with abiodegradable moiety (D), and provided with a polymerizable moiety (C*).The microgel is formed by free radical initiation in an inversesuspension polymerization process. In order to clarify the terms,“catalyst” herein denotes an additive in the chemical reaction between Fand D in one of the steps in the preparation of the macromers, whereasthe term “initiator” denotes an additive in the crosslinking orpolymerization of the macromers to form the microgel of the presentinvention.

The Macromers and Microgels

The macro-monomer (“macromer”) is a high molecular weight polymerizablemonomer and comprises a biocompatible and thermosensitive polymer or anoligomer. (F) preferably as a central part of the system. A blockcopolymer comprising DFD, wherein D is a biodegradable moiety, issynthesized by a ring opening polymerization process in the presence ofan aliphatic internal ester. The block copolymer formed provided withcrosslinkable ends (the macromer F(DC*)₂) is then crosslinked to form amicrogel. The crosslinkable moiety C* may comprise a double bond endgroup provided at each terminus of the block copolymer DFD.

The resultant microgels are chemically cross-linked networks comprisingat least one thermosensitive region and one biodegradable region. Inparticular, the microgel comprises a thermosensitive core region Fextended at both ends by a biodegradable moiety D, and provided with acrosslinked moiety C at each terminus. The chemical structure of themicrogel may be represented by the structure shown in FIG. 1.

In addition to a thermosensitive region, a biodegradable component andtwo cross-linkable moieties at two ends, the block copolymer maycomprise different molecular structures and may be combined in ways thatare obvious to those skilled in the art in the pertinent field. Forinstance, the block copolymer may have a biodegradable polymer as thecentral portion flanked by thermosensitive extensions and provided withcross-linkable moieties at both ends. Alternatively, the block copolymermay be branched with varying branching structures.

Thermosensitive Regions

In a preferred embodiment, the core thermosensitive oligomer or polymercan be a block copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) andpoly(propylene oxide) (PPO). Most preferably, the oligomer or polymermay be a symmetrical block copolymer with three blockes with alternatingPEO-PPO-PEO. The molecular formula can be written as

wherein X ranges from 1 to 300 and Y ranges from 1 to 300Biodegradable Regions

“Biodegradable” means that the block copolymer can break down or degradewithin the body of human or warm-blood animals to release the entrappeddrug.

The biodegradable block co-polymer D is an oligerester or polyester, oris a random or block co-polyester or co-oligoester. The biodegradablemoiety, a block co-polyester may comprise (R₁)_(m)(R₂)_(n) or (R₃)_(l),wherein R₁, R₂ and R₃ are respectively

wherein m=0˜100, n=0˜100, l=0˜100 with all of m, n and l not being zerosimultaneously, although one or two of the three may be zero. Thealiphatic polyester R₁ (or R₂ or R₃) or their copolymers are selectedfrom the group(s) consisting of polymers or oligomers of d,l-lacticacid, l-lactic acid, glycolide, ε-caprolactone and alkyl substitutedε-caprolactone, and copolymers thereof.Polymerizable Regions

Cross linking of the copolymer with crosslinkable ends are preferablyformed via free radical polymerization, most preferably via a chemicalinitiator. The crosslinked moiety C can be expressed as

wherein R can be —H, —CH₃ or an alkyl. The preferred moiety with acrosslinkable group C* for further polymerization and is selected fromthe group consisting of acrylates, diacrylates, methacrylates, alkylsubstituted acrylated, or other acrylic acid derivatives.Macromer Synthesis

The ring-opening copolymerization of F and a lactone or an internalester may be carried out under 0.1 mm Hg vacuum in the presence of acatalyst. The reaction temperature is in a range between 80˜180° C.,preferably 120˜180° C., and most preferably 140˜160° C. The reactiontime is over 1 hour, usually in the range of 3˜50 hours, preferably15˜24 hours. The catalyst is generally stannous octoate in an amountthat is above 0.01 mole % per hydroxyl end group of F. Preferably, theamount of the catalyst is in the range of between 0.1 mole % to 5 mole%, most preferably from 0.5 mole %˜1.5 mole %. The catalyst may also beselected from the group consisting of calcium hydride or zinc powder ina molar ratio of catalyst to hydroxyl end groups of F in the range offrom 0.2/0.8 to 0.8/0.2, preferably ranging from 0.4/0.6 to 0.6/0.4.When the catalyst is calcium hydride or zinc powder, the reactiontemperature is in the range of between 50˜250° C., preferably 120˜160°C. The reaction time is above 1 hour, preferably 3˜50 hours. The molarratio of F to the internal ester is in the range of from 0.1˜99.9 to99.9˜0.1.

The resultant viscous material is dissolved with an organic solvent,such as dichloromethane, and then precipitated with an excess ofanhydrous ether at a temperature in the range of −10˜4° C. to remove theunreacted themosensitive oligomer or polymer F, the biodegradable moietyR₁ (R₂ or R₃ or their copolymers) and the residual catalyst. The productcollected by filtration is then dried and preserved in a vacuum oven.The copolymer formed is then end-capped with acryloyl groups to form apolymerizable macromolecule. The molar ratio of acryloyl chloride ormethyl acryloyl chloride or acryloyl chloride derivative to the hydroxylend groups of F, or the hydroxyl end group of the copolymer of F and D,is generally in the range of from 1:1 to 100:1. preferably from 2:1 to20:1.

A typical synthesis procedure is illustrated as follows: the copolymersof F and D are dissolved in dichloromethane or trichloromethane in around-bottomed flask, and cooled to 0° C. in an ice bath. Triethylamineat the same molar amount as acryloyl chloride or its derivative is thenadded to the flask with stirring and a protective layer of driednitrogen. Acryloyl chloride, methyl acryloyl chloride or a derivative ofacryloyl chloride, is added dropwise to the mixture The reaction wascarried out for 4˜12 hours in the ice bath at a temperature in the rangeof 0˜5° C., and then was maintained for 10˜12 hours at room temperatureof about 20° C. The reaction mixture was filtered to removetriethanolamine hydrochloride and then precipitated in excessiveanhydrous ether. Finally, the macromer F(DC*)₂ is obtained by drying theprecipitate collected by filtration in a vacuum oven.

Formation of Microgel

In one embodiment, the thermosensitive and biodegradable macromers(F(DC*)₂) are covalently cross-linked to form a microgel through inversesuspension polymerization. During the polymerization process, themacromer or a 1 wt %˜49 wt % solution of the macromer is the dispersedor continuous medium. The concentration of the macromer solution rangesfrom 3 wt %˜98 wt %. The solvent can be water, an aqueous solution, ahydrophilic solvent or a hydrophilic solution. The polymerization may beinitiated using a water-soluble redox system with an oxidant, such aspersulfate potassium or persulfate ammonium, or a reductant, such as asulphite, hyposulphite or tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED), where thelatter is also used as an accelerator in the reaction. The amount of theinitiating agent is above 0.001 wt % of the macromer, generally in therange of 0.01 wt %˜8 wt %. The “initiating agent” refers to a singleinitiator, or a mixture of initiators, a co-catalyst or an accelerator.In some cases, it is advantageous to use a redox system forpolymerization, because the associated free radical initiation may betriggered at a reasonable rate over a wide range of temperatures, andmay even be triggered at low temperature of between 0-20° C.

Alternatively, polymerization may also be performed using thermalinitiation, where the initiator is azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) orbenzoperoxide (BPO), etc.

During the process of polymerization, the continuous phase is generallya water-immiscible organic solvent selected from the group consisting ofheptane, octane, cyclohexane, toluene, dimethylbenzene etc., and amixture thereof. The dispersion phase is generally a hydrophilic solventselected from the group consisting of water, an aqueous solution, ahydrophilic solvent, a hydrophilic solution, and a mixture thereof.

During the process of polymerization, the W/O nonionic emulsifier isadded to the organic solvent. The emulsifier is selected from the groupconsisting of Span, Tween or their mixtures, at a weight ratio ofbetween 100˜50/0˜50, preferably 100˜80/0˜20. Other nonionic emulsifierwhich can form a W/O emulsion may also be used.

During the polymerization process, the amount of emulsifier used rangesfrom 1 wt % to 40 wt %, preferably from 5 wt % to 15 wt %. The amount ofthe macromer in solution ranges from 1 wt % to 49 wt %, preferable from7 wt % to 35 wt %. The reaction temperature is in the range of 20-100°C., generally 45˜80° C. with a stirring speed is in the range from 60 to2000 rpm. The speed of stirring may be constant or varied during theprocess. The reaction time is usually above 30 minutes, generally in therange of about 0.5˜8 hours. The microgel formed is collected byfiltration, washed several times with acetone and water and then freezedried or stored at a low temperature. The particle sizes of the microgelprepared in accordance with the present invention is from 5 nanometersto 5 millimeters.

During the process of polymerization, an initiator can be added to theflask of the macromer solution held in the bath set at thepolymerization temperature. Since the polymerization temperature isusually above the phase transition temperature, the macromer solutionmight have physically gelated while the microgel particles are formed.This may result in the lack of well formed dispersed particles. In orderto avoid physical gelation in the macromolecule solution beforemicroparticle formation, the initiating agent can also be added into theflask together with macromolecule solution but at a lower temperature.The flask may then be heated to trigger polymerization only after themacromer solution has been well dispersed. The initiator can also beadded in a different manner, for instance, as an initiator oraccelerator solution into the continuous phase after the disperse phaseof the macromer solution has formed.

The cross-linking may take place with a mixture of different macromersof the said (FDC*) structure.

The “particles” of “microgel” provided in accordance with the presentinvention can be stored in bulk or as a solvent mixture. The suitablesolvent may be an aqueous or an organic solvent. Generally, water or anaqueous solution is used as the medium to swell the particles to form ahydrogel. The microgel particles formed in accordance with the presentinvention may be a xerogel, without a solvent or in a solvent. When theparticles are in a hydrogel state, the solvent used is selected from thegroup consisting of distilled water, a buffer solution, a body fluid, acell culture fluid, a tissue culture solution, or any other aqueoussolution or solvent. The solvent used should not comprise an organicsolvent as a major or principal part. The solvent may be a mixture.

It is understood that there might be some free ends in a chemicallycross-linked network, wherein only one end of the chain is connectedwith an infinite cross-linked network. The macromolecule provided in thepresent invention can comprise 0˜49 wt % of a block co-polymer with adouble-bond at only one end of the molecule. Because of the possibilityof the presence of some macromers with only a single crosslinkable enddouble bond, or less than 100% conversion of the doubledouble-bond-ended macromers, it is inevitable and allowable for themicrogel to comprise some dangling unpolymerized ends within thechemical gel network synthesized in accordance with the presentinvention. The chemically cross-linked network of the microgel of thepresent invention may comprise 0-49 wt % of structures with a danglingunpolymerizable end.

In the microgel provided by the present invention, the amount of thetemperature-sensitive polymer or oligomer F comprising the principalpart is in the range of 51 wt % to 99.9 wt %, while the biodegradablemoiety or oligomer R₁ (or R₂ or R₃) or their copolymer is present in anamount in the range of 0.1 wt % to 49 wt %.

Drug Loading in the “Intelligent” Microgel

It is particularly advantageous that “intelligent” microgels are usedfor the controlled delivery of drugs, especially for bio-active agentssuch as proteins, including growth factors, etc. The term “intelligent”herein refers to a microgel that has a negative temperature sensitivity,i.e., the gel swells at a low temperature and contracts at a temperaturethat is above the “phase transition temperature” of the microgel. Such atemperature sensitivity at high temperature leads to “physicalgellation” in this invention.

Conventional protein loading by in situ polymerization suffers frombeing conducted at a high temperature in the presence of organicsolvents. These two conditions (organic solvent and high temperature)detrimentally affect the activity of the drug and sometimes evendenature or degrade the protein drug. Moreover, when a drug solution isadsorbed into a conventional, known hydrogel, the amount of drug loadedis a serious limitation, in that a low loading level of less than 0.1 wt% is achieved according to Bromberg et al., (1998) Adv. Drug. Deliv. 31:197-221).

A further problem is the difficulty of controlling the pore sizes in themicrogel network, to permit the proteins to penetrate easily into themicrogels and at the same time prevent the protein from leaching outfrom the microgel. To overcome these incompatible requirements, theprinciples governing chemical gelation and physical gelation have beentaken into consideration together to develop the ‘intelligent’ microgelsof the present invention. The incompatible requirements were solved bytaking advantage of the intelligent design of a suitable material thathas the desirable properties of a chemical gel and a physical gel.

Chemical gels are known to be permanent gels with covalentlycross-linked infinite networks. The gelation process is not reversiblein most of cases. Whereas, physical gels are formed due to a change in aphysical parameter, such as a temperature change. In such cases, theprocess of gelation is usually reversible.

The microgels provided in the present invention are thermosensitive.They are chemical gels at a low temperature but are both chemical andphysical gels simultaneously at a higher temperature, such as the bodytemperature. The particle sizes of the microgel change remarkably, i.e.,the microgel particles shrink, when the temperature is higher than thephase transition temperature. In a gel with negative or reversetemperature sensitivity, a protein may be absorbed into the gel belowthe phase transition temperature.

When the temperature is raised over the phase transition temperature,the effective pore size of the gel network decreases and the proteinabsorbed therein are entrapped or kept in the microgel. In this case thenetwork further gelates in response to a change in temperature. This isphysical gelation causing the substance to be entrapped in the network.

Straightforward drying after absorbing the substance such as a drug is,of course, an alternative approach to keep the drug within the microgel.Drying after raising temperature following absorbing the drug at a lowtemperature is also necessary in storage of the drug-loaded microgels,as usual.

If the size of the protein is below the pore size of the microgel, theprotein can enter relatively easily into microgel at a low temperature.When the microgel is heated to body temperature, the protein isentrapped in the microgel and is prevented from easily leaching out fromthe gel. It may be said that the protein molecules are entrapped withinthe microgel at the body temperature and thus may be released gradually.

The microgels of the present invention are biodegradable. The rate ofdegradation of the microgels of the present invention can be adjusted byselecting a suitable polyester or copolyester. The loaded protein orother adsorbed substance is thus released through diffusion and thedegradation of the microgel.

The loaded substance may be any molecule or molecular mixture which doesnot react chemically with the microgel. A biologically active moleculeis preferred, and may be any biomacromolecule or a derivative thereof.The solvent for biologically active molecules is usually water or anaqueous solution such as a PBS solution. The microgels of the presentinvention are particularly suitable for the controlled release of aprotein, such as a growth factor.

In the present invention, the temperature sensitive macromer constitutesthe principal part of the biodegradable microgel particles which mightbe used for loading the protein. It is contemplated that the microgelsof the present invention are to be used not only for the controlledrelease of cell growth factors in tissue engineering, but may be anon-protein, a macromolecular drug or other material for whichcontrolled release is desired.

The loaded microgels may be preserved at a low temperature or freezedried and preserved at a low temperature. The activity of the loadedsubstance, particularly of a protein, can therefore be maintained easilyand conveniently.

Compared with other carriers used in the controlled release of a drug,the biodegradable temperature-sensitive microgels provided in thepresent invention exhibit the following characteristics:

-   1. The hydrogel is in the form of an intelligent microgel and is    biodegradable.-   2. The microgel basically is composed of a synthetic polymer,    principally a block copolymer with good biocompatibility.-   3. The microgel provided in the present invention is prepared by    inverse suspension polymerization from macromers comprising a    thermosensitive central part linked with a biodegradable moiety, and    polymerizable end(s).-   4. The microgel provided in the present invention is    temperature-sensitive. Because of this unique characteristic, a drug    or an entrapped material, usually another macromolecular material,    such as a protein, can be encapsulated AFTER the microgel has    formed. So, during the drug loading process, the protein drug is not    exposed to any organic solvents or a temperature that is higher than    the human body temperature or that of a warm-blood animal.-   5. In addition, because drug loading is performed after the microgel    has formed, any residual starting material and/or initiator within    the formed microgel can be thoroughly removed by washing to ensure    the biocompatibility of the microgels.-   6. The microgel is uncharged and is biodegradable primarily by    hydrolysis. Thus, aside from pore size, there are no stringent    selection requirements for the substance that is desired to be    loaded. The encapsulation and release mechanism is universally    applicable to any macromolecular drugs and may even be potentially    useful for other substances that are to be applied in other areas    beyond Pharmacology where the controlled release of biologically    active macromolecules and their derivatives is desired.-   7. The sizes of the microgel particles of the present invention can    be controlled by adjusting the stirring speed and the concentration    of the emulsifier.-   8. The microgels provided in the present invention possess the    characteristics of both a chemically cross-linked gel and a physical    gel. The phase transition temperature associated to physical    gelation of the microgels of the present invention is adjustable by    changing the ratio of the various macromers in the block co-polymer    or other properties of the macromers, such as chain length, etc.-   9. The effective pore size of the microgel network provided in    accordance with the present invention can be controlled by selecting    the molecular weight of the central block copolymer and by varying    the amounts of the various components of the macromers or varying    the macromer mixtures.-   10. The degradation rate of microgel provided in the present    invention is also controllable by selecting different polyesters to    be co-polymerized with the temperature sensitive macromer, and by    controlling their ratio in the copolymer. The degradation rate is    generally not affected by the rate of gelation.-   11. The microgels provided in accordance with the present invention    are intelligent and biodegradable. Furthermore, the characteristics    of the microgel, such as degradation rate, pore size, etc, can be    adjusted independently. Consequently, the microgels of the present    invention can be easily manipulated for desirable loading and    release of various macromolecules. The technology is highly flexible    and versatile.

The present invention will be further understood by reference to thefollowing non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLES

Materials

PEO, PPO tri-block copolymers and stannous octoate were obtained fromSigma Aldrich; lactide, glycolide and caprolactone were obtained fromPURAC and ACROS Organics respectively. Purification of ammoniumpersulphate and sodium bisulfite was carried out by the method ofrecrystallization. Dichloromethane was distilled prior to use.

Characterization

FTIR was carried out using Magna-550 instrument and 500 MHz proton wascarried out using SF-500 instrument.

Example 1

Preparation of a Macromer

A 50 ml ampoule was flame dried under vacuum. 20 g ofPEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀ (the number in the subscript denotes the associatedaveraged degree of polymerization), 0.92 g of l-lactide and 1.3 ml of 10mg/ml stannous octoate toluene solution were charged into the tube.After mixing the contents well, the tube was preheated to 60° C. for 6hours under repeated cycles of vacuum and drying in argon or nitrogen toremove any volatile materials. The tube was then sealed off under vacuum(0.1 mmHg) and the mixture was copolymerized at 140° C. for 24 hours.The resultant copolymer was dissolved with dichloromethane, thenprecipitated with excess anhydrous ether (−10˜0° C.), and recovered byfiltration. The dried copolymer was then used for subsequent reactions.Other polymers were similarly synthesized using d,l-lactide orε-caprolactone and calcium hydroxide in place of glycolide and stannousoctoate and different PEO-PPO tri-block copolymers with different ratiosof three components.

The above dried PEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀-l-lactide copolymer was dissolved indichloromethane in 250 ml round bottom flask. A ten fold molar excess,based on the molecular weight of the copolymer, of Triethylamine wasadded to the flask under the protection of dried nitrogen. Acryloylchlorine in the same amount as triethylamine was added dropwise to theflask. The reaction mixture was stirred hours in an ice bath, followedby stirring for 12 hours or more at room temperature. After the reactionmixture was filtered to remove any insoluble triethylamine salt, themacromolecule was obtained by pouring the filtrate into a large excessof anhydrous ether (−10˜0° C.) and recovering the precipitate by furtherfiltration. Finally, the precipitate was dried in vacuum oven for two orthree days. The macromer obtained was called(PEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-LA₄-DA (LA₄ denotes that there are, on average,about 4 lactic-acid repeating units on each end of the block copolymerbased upon the feed molar ratio, DA denotes di-acryloyl groups, namely,each acryloyl group at one end).

Production of Microgels Using a REDOX Initiating System

Inverse suspension polymerization reactions were performed in a 250 mlfour-neck flask, fitted with a reflux condenser and a mechanical Teflonstirrer and under an inert atmosphere of nitrogen. The continuous phasecomprised 200 ml of heptane and an emulsifier Span 60, in an amount of 4wt % of heptane. The disperse phase was 10 ml of 20% w/w of themacromolecule, with ammonium persulphate and TEMED. After the flask washeated to 60° C. using an oil bath, the aqueous disperse phase was addeddropwise at a rate of 1-2 drops per second into the flask. (3 wt %ammonium persulphate based on the amount of the macromolecule and 15 μlof the accelerator, TEMED were dissolved in the macromolecule solution30 sec. before adding the disperse phase into the flask.)

The reaction was allowed to proceed for one hour at a stirring speed of450 rpm. The resultant microgel was separated from the solvent with astandard sieve. The sieved microgel was washed firstly with acetone,followed by distilled water. After freeze drying, the particles sizes ofthe microgel obtained were in the range of 10-150 μm. When the microgelwas allowed to swell in distilled water at 37° C., the particle sizesincreased to 10-200 μm. The particle sizes further increased uponlowering of the temperature to 4° C. The morphology of the swollenmicrogel is shown in FIG. 2. The influence of temperature on the sizesof microgel particles was also investigated using a microscope providedwith a device for controlling the temperature. The result is shown inFIG. 3, where the average volume or size of the microgel particles at 4°C. was taken as a control. The sizes of the microgel particles droppedsharply between 15° C. to 20° C.

Characterization of Macromers

An FTIR spectrum of the macromolecule was measured and calibrated. Thestrong absorption at 1730 cm⁻¹ demonstrates the presence of the lactideester, the weak absorption at 1560 cm⁻¹ shows the presence of acrylicdouble bonds at the end groups.

A 500 MHz proton spectrum was recorded on an SF-500 instrument. Thepeaks at 1.13 ppm and 3.6 ppm reflect the presence of —CH₃ and —CH₂ inPPO and PEO respectively, and the peaks at 5.2 ppm and 1.4 ppm areattributable to the presence of —CH and —CH₃ in the lactic acid.

Example 2

The procedure employed is similar to that in Example 1. After a 50 mlampoule was flame dried under vacuum, PEO₁₂₉-PPO₅₆-PEO₁₂₉,ε-carprolactone and stannous octoate were charged into the tube (themolar ratio of three components is 1:8:0.02). After the contents werewell-mixed, the tube was preheated to 60° C. for 6 hours under repeatedcycles of vacuuming and drying with argon or nitrogen to remove volatilematerials. The tube was then sealed under vacuum (0.1 mmHg), and themixture was copolymerized at 150° C. for 24 hours. Then the copolymer indichloromethane was allowed to react with methylacryloyl chlorine andtriethylamine. After filtration to remove solid materials, the filtratewas precipitated with excess anhydrous ether (−10˜0° C.) and theprecipitate was recovered by filtration and the dried macromolecularpolymer obtained was the (PEO₁₂₉-PPO₅₆-PEO₁₂₉)-CL₄-DMA (CL₄ denotes thatthere are, on average, about 4 ε-carprolactone repeating units on eachend of the block copolymer based upon the feed molar ratio; DMA denotesdi-methylacryloyl groups, namely one methylacryloyl group at each end).

For the inverse suspension polymerization process, the continuous phasecomprised dimethylbenzene and an emulsifier composed of Span 60 andTween 80 in a weight ratio of 80:20 After the flask was heated to 80°C., a disperse phase of an aqueous solution of the(PEO₁₂₉-PPO₅₆-PEO₁₂₉)-CL₄-DMA macromers was added dropwise at a rate of1-2 drops per second into the flask. The amount of the disperse phasewas 6 wt % of the continuous phase. The reaction was carried out forhalf an hour at a stirring speed of 550 rpm. The microgel was separatedfrom the liquid phase with a sieve and washed firstly with acetone,followed by distilled water. The sizes of the microgel particles rangedfrom 20-100 μm.

Example 3

The procedure used is similar to that described in Example 1 Themacromer (PEO₁₀₃-PPO₃₉-PEO₁₀₃)-LA₁₆-DA was obtained by feedingPEO₁₀₃-PPO₃₉-PEO₁₀₃, l-lactide and stannous octoate in a molar ratio of1:16:0.02 before di-acryloylated. For the inverse suspensionpolymerization process, the continuous phase comprises heptane and anemulsifier composed of Span 80 and Tween 80 in a weight ratio of 84:16.The amount of the emulsifier was 8 wt % of heptane. While the solutionwas stirred under nitrogen for 30 min in an ice bath, the aqueousdisperse phase containing 15% w/w macromers was added dropwise at a rateof 1-2 drops per second into the flask. Then 3 wt % ammonium persulphatebased on the macromer and 10 wt % sodium bisulfite based on the macromerwere added into the flask. The amount of the disperse phase was 8 wt %of the continuous phase. After 30 min, the flask was heated to 50° C.,and then held at this temperature for 1 hour at a stirring speed of 450rpm. The microgel was separated from the mixture with a sieve. Thesieved microgel was washed firstly with acetone, followed by distilledwater. The resultant microgel particles were in the range of 20-150 μm.

Example 4

The procedure is similar to that in Example 1. The macromer(PEO₁₀₃-PPO₃₉-PEO₁₀₃)-(CL₄-LA₄)-DA was obtained by feedingPEO₁₀₃-PPO₃₉-PEO₁₀₃, ε-carprolactone, l-lactide and calcium hydroxide ina molar ratio of 1:8:4:2 followed by di-acryloylation. During theprocess of inverse suspension polymerization, the continuous phasecomprised toluene and a mixed emulsifier (Span 80 and Tween 80 in weightratio of 90:10). The amount of the emulsifier was 12 wt % of toluene.Then, 20 wt % of (PEO₁₀₃-PPO₃₉-PEO₁₀₃)-(CL₄-LA₄)-DA macromer in anaqueous solution was added dropwise at a rate of 1-2 drops per secondinto the flask. The suspension was stirred under nitrogen in an ice bathat a speed of 1000 rpm. The amount of the disperse phase was 10 wt % ofthe continuous phase. After 30 minutes, the flask was heated to 70° C.at a stirring speed of 360 rpm. Then a 3 wt % ammonium persulphate basedon the macromolecule in 400 μl TEMED was added into the flask. Thereaction was allowed to proceed for 1 hour. The microgel was separatedfrom the reaction mixture with a sieve and washed with acetone and thenby distilled water. The sizes of the microgel particles ranged from30-150 μm.

Example 5

The continuous phase comprised heptane and an emulsifier Span 60, in anamount of 10 wt % heptane. After the flask was heated to 60° C. using athermostatted oil bath, a mixture of 10 wt % of(PEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-LA₈-DA and 13 wt % of (PEO₁₂₉-PPO₅₆-PEO₁₂₉)-CL₄-DAin aqueous solution was added dropwise at a rate of 1-2 drops per secondinto the flask. The disperse phase was 30 wt % of the continuous phase.The reaction was allowed to proceed for one hour with a stirring speedof 240 rpm. The microgel was separated with a sieve and washed firstlywith acetone, followed by distilled water. After freeze drying, thesizes of the prepared microgel particles ranged from 20-150 μm.

Example 6

The procedure is similar to that in example 1. The macromer(PEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-CL₈-DMA was obtained by feedingPEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀, ε-carprolactone and stannous octoate in molar ratioof 1:16:0.2 followed by di-methyl acryloylation. During the inversesuspension polymerization process, the continuous phase comprised hexaneand a mixed emulsifier (Span 80 and Tween 80 in weight ratio of 75:25)and AIBN (1 wt % of the macromer). The amount of the emulsifier was 8 wt% of hexane. Then, 20 wt % of the macromer (PEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PE₁₀₀)-CL₈-DMAin an aqueous solution was added dropwise at a rate of 1-2 drops persecond into the flask. The amount of the disperse phase was 10 wt % ofthe continuous phase. The solution was stirred under nitrogen for 30 minin an ice bath, then the flask was heated to 60° C. with a stirringspeed 400 rpm. The reaction was allowed to proceed for 4 hours. Themicrogel was separated with a sieve and washed with acetone and thendistilled water. The sizes of the microgel particles ranged from 30-250μm.

Biodegradability

Biodegradation of the microgels is essential for its use as a biomedicalmaterial. The rate of degradation also determines to a large extent therelease rate of the loaded material. The biodegradation of the microgelsin accordance with the present invention mainly takes place through thehydrolysis of the ester bond. FIG. 4 presents the hydrolysis data fortwo microgels in PBS at 37° C.

Example 7

Encapsulation and Release of a Protein (Bovine Serum Albumin)

2.8 ml of a 20 mg/ml Bovine serum albumin (BSA) aqueous solution wasslowly added at 4° C. dropwise into 200 mg of a dried microgel preparedfrom the (PEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-LA₈-DA macromer. Swelling took place for48 hours at 4° C. followed by 24 hours at 37° C. The resultant loadedmicrogel was freeze dried.

The microgel loaded with the BSA protein was placed in a flaskcontaining 40 ml of a phosphate-buffer solution (PBS, 0.1M, pH 7.4) andincubated at 37° C. At appropriate intervals shown in FIG. 5, 1.0 ml ofthe aqueous solution was collected and 1.0 ml of fresh PBS was added tothe flask. The amount of BSA released was assayed by the Lowry methodusing an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. The release profile for BSA isshown in FIG. 5. The cumulative BSA released was 73% after 120 hr, froma drug loading level of 20 wt % of BSA in the microgel.

Example 8

Insulin Release Assay

Insulin was dissolved in PBS at a concentration of 20 mg/ml. Drymicrogel was loaded by equilibration with an excess of the bufferedsolutions of insulin. The loaded microgels were placed in a flaskcontaining 40 ml of PBS and incubated at 37° C. At appropriate intervalsshown in FIG. 6, 1.0 ml of the aqueous PBS solution was collected and1.0 ml of fresh PBS was added to the flask. The amount of insulinreleased was assayed by a Bradford method using an ultravioletspectrophotometer. The release profile for Insulin is shown in FIG. 6.

Example 9

Toxicity of Microgels

The toxicity of the microgels described herein was evaluated byintramuscular injection of the (PEO₁₀₀-PPO₆₅-PEO₁₀₀)-LA₈-DA microgel inthe skeletal muscle of SD rats.

The rats were purchased from the College of Medicine of FudanUniversity. The procedure used was as follows. Fifteen SD rats having anaverage weight of 250 g were divided into five groups. Each groupconsists of three rats. The test microgels were sterilized using alcoholaqueous solution in cell-culture room. After a sterilized microgelsuspension of the microgel in physiological saline (20 mg/ml) wasprepared, 0.5 ml of the suspension was injected into the skeletal muscleof each rat. Each rat received two injections. The injected microgelsalong with their surrounding tissues were retrieved by surgical incisionafter 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 days. The retrieved samples were processed forhistological examination by paraffin embedment using hematoxylin andeosin (H & E) dye.

One-day after injection some inflammatory cells surrounding the tissuesat the injection site were observed. However, there was no strikingacute inflammatory reaction observed. After three days, the inflammatorycells almost disappeared. The microgel completely degraded anddisappeared after 7 days.

It is obvious to those of skill in the art that modifications andvariations can be made to the composition, the structure of themacromers, the methods of preparing the macromer and/or microgel, theresultant external shape and internal structure of the microgel, theways to encapsulate and release the entrapped substances in themicroparticles, based on the forgoing description. Such modificationsand variations are intended to be within the scope of the followingclaims.

LIST OF REFERENCES

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1. A thermosensitive and biodegradable microgel_wherein a) the microgelhas a chemically cross-linked network comprising at least one negativetemperature-sensitive macromolecule and one biodegradable grouprepresented by structural formula. wherein

represents chemical cross-linked bonds;

F(DC)₂ represents a polymeric chain between the cross-linked bonds; F isa temperature-sensitive block copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO); D is a biodegradable moiety; and C is across-linked moiety resulting from C*, a cross-linkable moiety; and b)the microgel is in the form of microparticles prepared by the followingsteps: i) co-polymerizing a biocompatible polymer or oligomer F with aninternal ester D by ring opening polymerization of D in the presence ofF using a catalyst; wherein F is a temperature-sensitive polymer oroligomer; D is a biodegradable moiety; ii) end capping the copolymerwith a crosslinkable moiety C* to provide a macromer with crosslinkableends; iii) cross linking the crosslinkable end(s) of the macromer toform the microparticles of the microgel by inverse suspensionpolymerization, wherein the continuous phase is a water-insolubleorganic solvent and the dispersion phase consists of a hydrophilicmedium in which the macromer is present; c. the microgel being usefulfor encapsulating a drug post polymerization; and d. the drugencapsulated microgel being injectable into the body.
 2. Thethermosensitive and biodegradable microgel of claim 1, wherein thetemperature-sensitive polymer or oligomer F is a tri-block copolymer ofpoly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), having theformula

wherein X is from 1 to 300, Y from 1 to
 300. 3. The thermosensitive andbiodegradable microgel of claim 1, wherein D is a biodegradableoligoester or polyester, or is a biodegradable random or blockco-oligoester or co-polyester selected from the group consisting of(R₁)_(m), (R₂)_(n), and (R₃)_(l), wherein R₁, R₂, and R₃ respectivelyare represented by:

wherein m=0˜100, n=0˜100, l=0˜100, and not all of m, n and l can bezero.
 4. The thermosensitive and biodegradable microgel of claim 1,wherein the cross-linked moiety C is

wherein R can be —H, —CH₃ or alkyl.
 5. The thermosensitive andbiodegradable microgel of claim 1, wherein the temperature-sensitivepolymer or oligomer F is used as the principal constituent in an amountbased on the microgel in the range of 51 wt %˜99.9 wt %.
 6. Thethermosensitive and biodegradable microgel of claim 1, wherein thechemically cross-linked network is obtained by crosslinking a mixture ofdifferent block copolymers, F and D and comprising a crosslinked moietyC.
 7. The thermosensitive and biodegradable microgel of claim 1, wherein0 wt %˜49 wt % of the chemically cross-linked network comprises adangling unpolymerized end.
 8. The thermosensitive and biodegradablemicrogel of claim 1, wherein the size of the microgel particles is inthe range of 5 nm to 5 mm.
 9. The thermosensitive and biodegradablemicrogel of claim 1, wherein the microgel is in a bulk state or admixedwith a solvent.
 10. A method of loading a substance into the network ofthe thermosensitive and biodegradable microgel of claim 1 by absorbingthe substance into the network of the microgel by allowing the microgelto swell in a solution containing the substance at a low temperaturebelow the phase transition temperature of the microgel.
 11. The methodof claim 10, wherein the substance absorbed in the gel was entrapped byincreasing the temperature, or by drying the hydrogel, or by increasingthe temperature and then drying the hydrogel.
 12. The method of claim10, wherein the absorbed or entrapped substance from the microgels wasreleased into a solution at a temperature above the phase transitiontemperature of the microgel.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein thephase transition temperature is below the temperature of a human or awarm-blood animal.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the swollenmicrogel is loaded with a substance and entrapped therein at atemperature above the phase transition temperature of the microgel for atime sufficient to cause further gelation of the network to preventleakage of the entrapped substance.
 15. The method of claim 10, whereinthe loaded substance is a pure substance of a mixture which does notchemically react with the microgel.
 16. The method of claim 10, whereinthe loaded substance is biologically active.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein the solvent for the biologically active substance is water, anaqueous solution or PBS.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein thebiologically active substance is a biomacromolecule or a derivativethereof.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the biologically activesubstance is a protein.